I saw the future: all-electric Rivian R1T pickup truck at all-electric Hotel Marcel in New Haven Connecticut

Posted by Paul Braren on May 15 2021 (updated on May 17 2021) in

It's no coincidence that this particular Rivian R1T was apparently in Albany NY and Hartford CT earlier this week, yes, both are state capitols. See also Governor Lamont and SB 127 co-sponsor Will Haskell checking out the R1T on May 13th here and here.

Last week, I was invited to this private showing, asking if I wanted to have a look at this same R1T at a very special location inside the construction zone of the epitome of sustainable building called the Hotel Marcel. See also my recent interview with the architect, and a new video that details exactly how this building is powered below.

Of course I said yes to the invitation, and it just so happened I had that Friday off from work anyway. Attendance by many other curious members of the EV Club of Connecticut was excellent, as you'll also see pictured below. While there were some sensible restrictions on what we could share in photographs, unlike my recent visit to the Cybertruck, we were allowed up close and inside too. In case you weren't aware, Rivian backers include Ford and Amazon, you can read an early what-we-know article about the R1T here.

If Rivian R1T starts shipments this summer as planned, they still won't be able to sell directly to Connecticut consumers. It'd be as illegal, unless SB 127 passes first. That longstanding issue has been covered at TinkerTry's Big turn-out at Connecticut press conference including Lucid Motors, Rivian, Tesla, and EV owners advocating for SB 127 in-state direct-sales and deliveries and Lucid Motors, Rivian, Tesla, EV Club of CT, and franchised car dealerships discuss bill SB 127 to permit direct sales of EVs in Connecticut. My personal sentiment was also shared in Clean Technica's Connecticut’s SB 127 And The Fight For EV Freedom. Finally, a collection of related articles are summarized at EV Club of CT's EV Freedom for CT page.

In the spirit of helping EV adoption, special thanks are owed to the Tesla Owner's Club of Connecticut for creating the cross-branded Take Action page:
EVfreedomCT.com
It seems New York is in a similar struggle, see also their recently launched page:
EVfreedomNY.com.

It turns out this was also the week of the big Ford Lighting F-150 pickup truck announcement, with the reveal planned for May 19th. I'm just so glad the future of electric pickup trucks is looking brighter and brighter lately, with more and more choices at a variety of price points coming soon, especially given 20% of vehicles sold in the US are pickup trucks.

It's not that all EV brands are competing with Tesla, a narrative so often told by mainstream press. That's a bit silly given EVs are still less than 2% of the US market, so there is plenty of room for huge growth by all EV makers, newcomers and veterans alike. We really need a lot more companies making EVs to get real progress in the movement toward more sustainable transport. Remember, only EVs get to have more and more clean energy sources as the years go by, see also more about the huge new Wind Farm going up far off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.

Instead, I offer this perspective:

all EV brand are competing with fossil fuel cars and trucks
all-electric hotels are competing with fossil fuel powered hotels

Video of Rivian

Video of Hotel Marcel

The Hotel Marcel represents many firsts in efficient retro-fit construction in the United States.

First hotel:

to be Passive House certified.

Among the first hotels to include all of these features:

Architect Bruce Becker, with the Hotel Marcel behind him.

no fossil fuels (natural gas).
only induction cooking (electric).
LEED Platinum.
air-recovery heat pumps for heating and cooling.
ERVs (energy recovering ventilators).
solar arrays on the roof and over guest parking.
LG batteries.
various EV charging speeds available on-site.
700,000 kWh per year of solar.

Read more about Bruce's amazing project in Hartford at TinkerTry's Architect Bruce Becker discusses urban EV charging, heat pumps, fuel cells & sustainable development in Connecticut.

Photo Gallery

Setting out, listening to an appropriately-themed podcast

This must be my exit from I-95 in New Haven, that's the old Pirelli Tire building now becoming an extremely efficient hotel. Given the close proximity to IKEA's food court, this sure could make for a great future EV charging stop for travelers and hotel guests alike.

Brand new Model Y in front of me, also turning left into the IKEA parking lot

That's a lot of EVs. All EVs actually. Click/tap twice for a closer look.

Solar above, Tesla at left, Hotel Marcel at center, early production Rivian R1T at right.

Unique pass-through storage compartment.

That's a Rivian employee at left whose name I didn't get, I'm so sorry. That's Leslie Hayward at center, and Kaitlin Monaghan at right.

All 5 Rivian employees, all sharing using the EV1 as their ride.

Most of the EV Club of Connecticut Leadership Team.

Tell tale signs of kneeling for some pics.

Time to head back home to Wethersfield Connecticut, on this most glorious of spring days.

Specifications Comparison

According to Rivian, R1T is:

217.1 inches long
075.7 inches high
081.8 inches wide (with side-view mirrors)

For comparison, according to Roadshow, Cybertruck is:

231.7 inches long
075.0 inches high
079.8 inches wide (without side-view mirrors)

There's a chance the Cybertruck will be slimmed down slightly.

Rivian R1T at rivian.com/r1t

A truck built for whatever you call a road. Your electric adventure awaits.
Starting at $67,500 with 300+ miles of range.

Across the hottest and coldest places — from 130F to -25F — our battery system has been developed to explore. At launch, the R1T will deliver 300+ miles. In January 2022, a 400+ mile R1T will be available. After launch, we’ll announce the timing for a 250+ mile R1T.³

rivian-makes-appearance-in-ct-to-support-sb-127

Rivian Makes Appearance in CT to Support SB 127 - Rivian Brings New R1T to CT in Support of Direct Sales
May 16 2021 by EV Club of CT

rivian-shows-up-to-support-ev-owners-fighting-for-ev-freedom-in-connecticut

Rivian Shows Up To Support EV Owners Fighting For EV Freedom In Connecticut
May 15 2021 by Johnna Crider at CleanTechnica

Connecticut EV owners are still fighting for their right to buy EVs in their state. Recently, I reported on how local dealerships were doing their best to get the bill blocked. Yesterday, Rivian showed up to lend more support. The EV Club of Connecticut and the Tesla Owners Club of Connecticut shared their experiences.

ford-f150-lightning-tesla-cybertruck-rivian-electric-pickup-truck

Ford F-150 Lightning to Tesla Cybertruck: Every electric pickup truck coming
May 10 2021 by Sean Szymkowski at RoadShow

Electric trucks are clearly the next big thing, so it's time to round up all of these battery-powered machines.